MANILA - Faced with lingering funding crisis, the Philippine Marine Corps has been taking old equipment out of storage or repurchasing it from scrap yards and refurbishing it for use.

In one example, when faced with a need for additional weapons, the marines requisitioned the reserve stockpile of WWII-era M3 submachine guns from the Philippine Navy. They added Picatinny rails, integral suppressors, and Simmons red-dot optical sights, and modified the magazines to make them less likely to jam. Reports suggest that the cost of cleaning, refinishing and issuing 40 M3/M3A1s is the same as the cost of acquiring a single new .45-caliber H&K UMP submachine gun. The modified M3s also have the advantage that it is easier to silence weapons firing the subsonic .45ACP round used in the M3 than to silence modern, higher-velocity weapons.

In another example of obsolescent equipment being returned to service, the marines have refurbished and reconditioned a pair of antique LVTH6A1 amphibious armored personnel carriers for service. These had been the principal tracked, armored amphibious fire support vehicle of the Corps in the 1970s. These two vehicles are being refurbished under a pilot project, with a more extensive program planned at a later date.

When the candidate vehicles were inspected, it was determined that the Continental gasoline engines were in better condition than expected and required relatively minor work to return the vehicles to operational status. This included the inspection and testing of the electro-mechanical systems, tuning, replacement of worn components such as hoses, spark plugs, and batteries. The running gear and tracks were found to be in good condition. The vehicle’s 105mm main armament was inspected and determined to be suitable for test firing, together its .30 caliber M1919 coaxial machine guns. Any items found unusable were replaced with those from other vehicles. In recognition of its role for urban operations, additional armor was installed on the front hull. This consisted of additional track sections, which serve as stand off protection from incoming fire. In spite of the additional weight of the armor, it was determined that the front ramp of the vehicle could continue to function with no adverse effects. Finally, the vehicles were repainted in "Berlin Brigade" urban camouflage.